Devastated by the killing of six Sikh worshippers at a gurdwara in Wisconsin, the 700,000-strong Sikh community in the US has rallied round to offer succour and seek reassurances of safety from the authorities.

A state-run Chinese daily Tuesday criticised America for the deadly shooting at a gurdwara, saying that despite having the most advanced defence ability, "the US government cannot prevent its citizens from falling victim to domestic gun crime".

Ornate 24-carat gold canopies for the Guru Granth Sahib religious text of Sikhism, Italian marble on the walls and floor, stunning chandeliers and a five-star kitchen - Dubai's first gurdwara is a grand realisation of the aspirations of 50,000 Sikhs in the UAE.

More than five lakh devotees witnessed the annual Rath Yatra (chariot festival) of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra in Odisha's temple town of Puri Thursday, officials said.

The ceremonial procession of the deities known as Pahandi - carrying the deities out of the temple to the chariots - started at 9.35 a.m., Laxmidhar Pujapanda, the public relations officer of the temple administration, told IANS.